Past laureates
Past laureates

More than 60 Nansen Refugee Award laureates
The first person to win the Nansen Refugee Award, in 1954, was Eleanor Roosevelt, first chair of the UN Human Rights Commission and former First Lady of the United States.
Since then, more than 60 individuals, groups or organizations have received the Award for their extraordinary service to refugees, internally displaced and stateless people. Since 2017, we have also recognized several Regional Winners each year for their humanitarian efforts.
The 2024 global laureate, Sister Rosita Milesi, is a leading advocate for refugees in Brazil. Unwavering in her commitment to people forced to flee, she has helped shape Brazilian refugee law and continues to influence regional policies in refugee protection and solutions.
Global laureates
Regional winners
Each year, the UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award recognizes several individuals, groups or organizations that have shown exceptional dedication in protecting and assisting refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.